1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to communication. More specifically, the present invention relates to a footwear seismic communication system.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Communication is defined as a process of transferring information from one entity to another. This process requires that both entities share, for the sake of successfully communicating, a repertoire of signs and a set of semiotic rules.
Basic human communication includes non-verbal communication (such as physical and visual communications), and verbal communication.
Acoustic communication is an ancient form of communication. It involves sending and receiving information using acoustic waves. The information may be encoded by the sender and decoded by the receiver.
Acoustic communication can involve propagating acoustic waves through the air, ground or water. However, acoustic wave propagation characteristics are substantially different for each medium.
Underwater acoustic communication, for example, involves sending information in the form of acoustic waves underwater. There are several ways of communicating underwater, but the most common way is using hydrophones. Underwater acoustic communication is difficult due to various factors, such as, for example, multi-path propagation (e.g. echoes from the bottom and surface of the ocean), time variations of the channel, small available bandwidth and significant signal attenuation, especially over long ranges. Consequently, low data rates may be achieved (compared to other forms of communication).
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,273,112 (Hobson) there was disclosed a communication system that utilizes the crust of the Earth as wave propagation medium.
US 2009/316530 (Bunyard et al.) disclosed system and method for communications in a mine provides for seismic wave generation through mine strata which includes specific location identification within the mine can be used in emergency situations by trapped miners. A seismic transmitting transducer imparts seismic waves onto a rod embedded into the strata, which is tunable by use of a slideable manifold that couples the transducer to a rod. Likewise, a receiving transducer which may also be coupled to a rod via a manifold may be configured to receive the seismic wave. The seismic wave may be modulated to produce a message or portion of a message that may be decoded at the receiving location. The transducers may be configured to utilize frequency hopping spread spectrum techniques. A geophone may be used as the receiving transducer.
CN 101383663 disclosed a through-the-earth communication system which comprises an earth coupling speaker and an earth coupling pick-up device, and stratum medium is arranged between the earth coupling speaker and the earth coupling pick-up device. A coder is arranged at a signal input end and is connected with a spread spectrum modulation and power amplifier which are connected with the earth coupling speaker, and the earth coupling speaker is positioned on the stratum or in the stratum at one side of a transmitting terminal. At the signal output end, the earth coupling speaker is positioned on the stratum or in the stratum at one end of a receiving terminal, the signal is received by the earth coupling pick-up device, the earth coupling pick-up device is connected with a low-noise amplification and frequency selection filter which is connected with a spread spectrum demodulator, and the reduction signal is output by the spread spectrum demodulator.
CN 1251961 disclosed very low frequency (VLF) ground wave telephone equipment in VLF band (20-300 KHz) is composed of user extensions, switch, ground wave telephone power amplifier-transmitter; ground coupled transmitting network and power supply. The user extensions consist of emitter, receiver and dialing circuit. Said ground coupled transmitting network is composed of feedback line, impedance converter, transmitting antennas, high-voltage (10 KV) power transmission line, and grounding electrode networks.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,389,432 (Hansell) disclosed a communication system that uses pulses through Earth.
In US 2007/223313 (Kimball) there was disclosed a seismic modem. The system includes at least one transmitting unit, that at least one transmitting unit comprising a first processing unit encoding a first signal, the first processing unit being coupled to a digital to analog converter, an amplifier amplifying the first signal, and a seismic pressure wave inducer transmitting the first signal to a geological feature and at least one receiving unit, the receiving unit comprising at least one receiver coupled to the geological feature for receiving the first signal, and an analog to digital converter whereby the first signal is transferred from the geophone and is conveyed to a second processing unit, the second processing unit being configured to identify and decode the first signal.